In the Dark Page 9

  "I went to the men's room," John Seymore said, and looked at Hank Adamson.

  "I walked up to the bar."

  "When did Granger leave the bar?" Nigel asked.

  His answer was a mass shrugging of shoulders.

  "Hell," Nigel muttered. "All right, everyone back inside."

  David was already on his feet. He reached a hand down to Alex, his eyes dark and enigmatic. She hesitated, then accepted his help.

  She realized, as she stood, that John Seymore was watching. He gave her a little smile, then turned away. It seemed that day suddenly turned to night. She shivered, then regretted it. David slipped an arm around her shoulders. "You all right?" he asked.

  "Of course," she said coldly.

  "Alex, you don't have to snap," he said softly.

  She removed his arm from around her shoulders and followed the others. She meant to find wherever John was sitting and take a place beside him.

  Too late. Zach was on John's left, Hank Adamson on his right. There was one bench left, and there was little for her to do other than join David when he sat there.

  She suddenly felt very cold, and, gritting her teeth, she accepted the light windbreaker he offered. She instantly regretted the decision. It felt almost as if she had cloaked herself in his aura. It wasn't unpleasant. It was too comfortable.

  The sheriff's phone rang. "Thompson," he said briefly as he answered it. A second later, he flipped his phone closed. "Well, it's bad news but not unexpected. He was pronounced dead at the hospital."

  "Mind if we go over Mr. Granger's movements one more time?" Nigel asked.

  "He came, he drank, he fell in the water," a businessman who'd been on the dive said impatiently.

  "Thanks for the compassion, sir," Nigel said.

  "Sorry, Sheriff," the man said. "But the guy was rich and being a rude pain in the you-know-what all day."

  "Well, thank goodness not everyone who's rude ends up drowning," the sheriff said pointedly. "I'd have myself one hell of a job," Nigel commented.

  "Sorry," the man said again. "It's just that…we're all tired. I only met the man today on the dive, and he wasn't the kind of person to make you care about him. And I'm on vacation."

  "Well, then, I'll get through this just as fast as I can. First things first—those of you from Moon Bay. Anyone checking out tomorrow?"

  No one was, apparently. Or, if so, they weren't about to volunteer the information.

  "Good. Okay, I'm going outside. One by one, come out, give me your names, room numbers and cell-phone numbers, and I may have a quick question or two. Then you can reboard and get going."

  Squeaky wheels were the ones oiled first, Alex determined. Nigel asked her whining diver to come out first.

  "This is kind of silly," a woman who had been on the dive complained. "A pushy rich man got snockered and fell in the water. That's obvious."

  "Nothing is obvious," David said, his eyes focused on the woman. Alex felt the coiling heat and tension in his body before he continued. "Nigel Thompson is top rate. He's not leaving anything to chance."

  The woman flushed and fell silent.

  Alex felt as if she were trapped, so aware of David in the physical sense that she was about to scream. In this room full of people, in the midst of this tense situation, she found herself focusing on the most absurd things. Like her ex-husband's toes. His muscled calves. Legs that were long and powerful. When he inhaled, his flesh brushed hers.

  She forced herself to look across the room at John Seymore, instead.

  In the room, conversations began. David turned to Alex suddenly. "You all right?" he asked softly.

  "Of course I'm all right," she said. He was studying her gravely. Then a slight smile curved his lips. "Why?" she asked cautiously.

  His head moved closer. His lips were nearly against her ear. When he spoke, it seemed that his voice and the moisture of his breath touched her almost like a caress. "You've been undressing me with your eyes," he told her.

  "You are undressed," she informed him. "And what I'm thinking about is the fact that a man drowned."

  "Did he?"

  "Of course! Damn you, David, we were both there."

  "We were both there to pull the body out of the water, but we weren't there when he died."

  "He drowned," she insisted.

  "Isn't this getting to you just a little bit?" His voice lowered even further. "You're in danger."

  "And you're going to protect me?" she demanded.

  "You bet."

  "Are you going to keep sleeping on my porch?"

  "No, you're going to let me into the cottage."

  "Dream on. I don't know what this absurd obsession with me is, but do you really think you're going to scare me into letting you back in my bed?"

  "Only if you insist, and if it will make you feel better."

  In that moment she hated him with a sudden intensity, because she had been so secure, so ready to explore a relationship with another man, and now…

  David had played on her mental processes. She knew he could make her feel secure…that his flesh against her own could feel irresistibly erotic, compelling… She wanted to curl against him, close her eyes, rest, imagine.

  "You've got some explaining to do, too," he informed her. Suddenly his eyes reminded her of a predatory cat.

  She stiffened. "I have to explain something to you?"

  "About Danny Fuller."

  "Danny Fuller?"

  They both fell silent.

  As more people filed outside, those waiting to be questioned began to shift around. Alex saw her opportunity and rose, placing as much distance as she could between herself and David.

  And then, with nothing else to do, she found herself pacing the room. Danny Fuller? What the hell was he talking about?

  She was idly walking in front of one of the long benches when she nearly collided with Jay. He caught hold of her shoulders to steady her, then sighed, turned and took a seat on the bench right behind him.

  She gazed at him where he sat. His hands were steepled prayer fashion in front of him, and he was looking upward. "Thank you, God," he barely whispered. 'Thank you for making this happen here and not on Moon Bay."

  "Jay!" she gasped, horrified.

  He looked up at her and flushed. "Well, he was a mean old bastard, and he'd lived out most of his life," Jay protested. "He liked to drink way too hard, and never believed the sea could be stronger than he was. Well, you can't turn up your nose and think you're better than the Atlantic."

  "This is still horrible."

  "Yeah, I'm sure all his ex-wives are going to be crying real hard," Jay murmured.

  She started to say something, then fell quiet. Without her noticing, the room had been emptying out.

  It was just her and Jay left to speak with the sheriff, and Nigel was coming toward them.

  "Well, it's a miracle, but no one in this place saw Seth Granger walk out. No one. Not the bartender, not a single waiter, waitress, busboy, cook or floor scrubber, none of the locals, and certainly none of your guests from Moon Bay."

  "Nigel, the guy was drunk," Jay said wearily.

  Nigel shook his head. "Seth Granger was always drinking, from what I've heard. Strange that he would just walk into the water, though. Stranger still that no one saw him do it. Never mind." He pointed a finger at Alex. "I want to talk to you at some length. Tomorrow. Got it?"

  "Me?"

  "Two days, two bodies," Nigel said.

  "But…you told me there was no second body. Or first body. Other body."

  "Alex, I already told you, I did all the checking I could—and I sent men out to walk the grounds. You know I didn't discount your story entirely. Anyway, we'll talk. I'll be out to see you tomorrow. For now…well, I've got some crime-scene people taking a look around here. At this point, it looks as if Seth got a bit too tipsy, took a walk, met the water and then his maker. There's going to have to be a hearing, though, and an autopsy. The medical examiner will have to verify th
at scenario."

  Jay nodded glumly. "Still," he murmured, "at least it happened here, not at Moon Bay." The other two looked at him. "Hey, I'm sorry, but it matters."

  "Well, take your guests home, Jay," Thompson said. "You." He pointed at Alex. "I'll see you tomorrow."

  "Sure," she murmured.

  They left, bidding Warren goodbye. Alex hoped the restaurant wouldn't end up paying for Seth's alcohol consumption. She knew Warren usually watched his customers and had been known to confiscate keys from any driver he thought shouldn't be on the road. His staff was equally vigilant.

  From what she had seen, there had been a pitcher of beer on the table. Seth had probably been downing pitcher after pitcher himself, but the waitress had undoubtedly assumed the beer was being consumed by a party of five.

  As they walked along the deck toward the boat, Jay stopped Alex. "I'll go back on the dive boat," he told her. "Damage control," he said with a wince.

  'There's room for us both," she said.

  'Take a break. Go back on the Icarus," he said. "That's okay with you, right, David?" Jay asked, turning slightly.

  She hadn't realized that her ex—or not quite ex—husband had been right behind them. "Sure," he said.

  Great. A ride back with David, John Seymore and Hank Adamson.

  Still, she didn't want to make a draining evening any worse, so she shrugged. At least the ride wouldn't take long.

  Along with a sympathetic smile, John Seymore offered her a hand down into the little dinghy that would take them back to the Icarus. She wound up sitting next to Hank Adamson, while David and John had the oars. Once again, it was John who gave her a hand on board the Icarus, but once there, she hurried aft, hoping to make the journey back alone.

  No luck.

  She had barely settled down on the deck, choosing a spot she had often chosen in years past, when David joined her.

  She groaned aloud. "Don't you ever go away?"

  "I can't. Not now."

  She stared at him. "You know, I'm trying to have a relationship with someone else."

  "I don't know about him yet."

  "What don't you know about him?"

  He looked at her, blue eyes coolly touching hers. "I don't know if he's in on what's going on or not."

  She groaned again. "David, he hasn't been out of the military that long. He's from the West Coast. He's not into salvage." "He's into things connected with the sea, that's for certain."

  "So?"

  "So I still don't know about him."

  "How about letting me make a few judgments on my own?"

  "Did you see a corpse on the beach or not?" he demanded.

  She looked away, silently damning him. "Yes."

  "And are we absolutely positive that Seth Granger just got up, left a bar, fell into the water and drowned?"

  "No," she admitted after a moment. "But it's the most likely scenario."

  '"Most likely' doesn't make it fact," he said flatly. "The body that you found—and yes, I'm convinced you found a body—was Alicia's. I'm certain of it."

  "How do you know that?" she demanded, but then she knew. One of his best friends, Dane Whitelaw, worked in Key Largo, leading his version of an ideal life, running a dive service and an investigations business. "Never mind. You've had Dane looking into it."

  "Yup."

  "So do you understand now?"

  "Understand what?"

  "Why I need to keep you under my wing for the time being."

  "Under your wing?" she snapped.

  "Don't get bristly," he protested. "After all, we're still married."

  "A technicality."

  "Even if we weren't, I'd be damned if I'd allow anyone to hurt you."

  "John Seymore doesn't intend to hurt me," she said. Then she couldn't resist adding, "Unless I want him to."

  He glared at her, eyes hard. "You just won't take this seriously, will you?"

  "How do I know you haven't suddenly turned into a murderer in your quest for treasure?"

  "Quit fighting me, please. I really don't want to sleep on your porch tonight. It will just make me harder to get along with. And if I'm cranky, I won't go to see a lawyer with you. And once I find out what's going on here…well, I could just take off again and leave you in limbo for a very long time."

  "You wouldn't!" she said.

  "I didn't file the papers in the first place," he said with a shrug, then rose. "We're nearly back. I've got to go dock her."

  Left alone, Alex felt her temper rising, but she wasn't as furious with him at that moment as she was with herself. She shouldn't be making a terrible problem out of things. Let the idiot sleep on the couch. Under the circumstances, she needed to take everything slow. If John Seymore was really interested in her, he would wait around.

  Even with her ex-or-almost-ex-husband in the cottage?

  They had docked. She rose slowly, all too aware of why she was so upset. Having David on the couch should be no big deal.

  Except she would know he was there. And now, with each passing moment, she was more and more aware of why she had been so attracted to him from the beginning, why she felt a strange flush of excitement when he was around, and why she found herself so annoyed that he ran around shirtless so often.

  "We really do need to talk," David murmured as they went ashore, following Hank Adamson and John Seymore off the Icarus.

  "I really need to see to my dolphins," she told him, and purposely walked as quickly as she could along the docks, aiming straight for the dolphin lagoon and praying, for once, that she wouldn't be followed. By anyone.

  "Come to the Tiki Hut with me?" Jay said to David. He'd waited at the end of the deck He was trying to sound casual, but there was an edgy note in his voice.

  Damage control, David thought.

  "I really need a shower," David told him.

  "And I don't think anyone actually wants a drink," Hank Adamson said.

  "What the hell, I'll go for a few minutes," John Seymore said.

  "We'll all go," David determined. He wanted to keep an eye on the guy. He wasn't sure if he was suspicious because a man like Seymore was in a place like this, or because he was interested in Alex. Interested in her? He'd had his tongue halfway down her throat the other night.

  "Apparently the sheriff doesn't believe that Seth Granger just fell in the water and drowned," Hank said as they walked.

  "What makes you say that?" Jay asked him sharply.

  "He questioned everyone pretty closely."

  "He's the sheriff," Jay said uneasily. "He has to cover all bases. Why the hell would anyone want to kill Seth Granger."

  The silence that followed his question was telling.

  "For being a crass, overbearing windbag, for one," Hank offered dryly.

  They reached the Tiki Hut. The employees rushed for Jay as he appeared, and he calmly explained the situation. No one seemed to be terribly sad, David noted. They were amazed, though, and maybe even a little titillated. The drowning of such a wealthy man was bound to excite gossip.

  The four men took a table. David admired Jay's determination to deal with the situation. He wanted to be visible, to answer any questions. That was damage control, yes, but at least the guy wasn't shrinking from his responsibility.

  Zach's mother, Ally Conroy—the one person who had seemed to be getting on with Seth the night before—was in the bar without her son, and it appeared she'd had a few herself. She rose, walked to the table and demanded, "Are they really saying he just…got up and drowned?"

  "That's what they think right now, yes," Jay told her.

  "I don't believe it. I didn't know him that well, but I don't believe it," she said, slurring her words. "Everyone was there, right with him. How come no one saw?" Ally demanded. Her voice was strong, but she was shifting from foot to foot as she spoke.

  "Probably because none of us was expecting anything to happen," David told her, rising. "Mrs. Conroy, you seem…distraught. Would you like me to walk you to your room?"
>
  "Why? Because I might fall into the water and drown?" she said with hostility.

  "Because I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself in any way," David said.

  Suddenly her eyes fell. She sniffed. "He liked me. Liked Zach and liked me. You don't know how hard it is to raise a kid by yourself. And he was…not the kind of man who'd get drunk, fall in the water and drown."

  "The sheriff will be investigating," David assured her gently. "In fact, he'll be here tomorrow. You can talk to him yourself."

  She suddenly seemed to deflate, hanging on David's arm. She looked up at him, a little bleary-eyed. "Hey, you're all right, you know?"

  "I'll walk her to her room," David told the others.

  They nodded.

  Ally Conroy was definitely stumbling as she clung to David. "We've got one of the cottages," she said. "It was an Internet deal. Cool, huh? I'm paying a lot less than most people. Have to watch my money, you know?"

  "Of course. I'm glad you got a good deal."

  By the time they reached her cottage, he was ready to pick her up and throw her over his shoulder, she was stumbling so badly. He damned himself for taking the time to go with her, was even now missing something being said at the Tiki Hut, some piece of the puzzle that had to come together soon.

  Because he didn't believe, not for a minute, that Seth Granger had just fallen into the water and died.

  They reached the cottage at last. She couldn't find her key, so David knocked on the door, hoping Zach would hear.

  "He was onto something. Onto something big," Ally said suddenly.

  "What?"

  "He told me about some ship."

  "What ship?"

  "Where is that damn key?" Ally Conroy said.

  David strove for patience and an even tone. "Mrs. Conroy, what ship? Please, think for me."

  "The…ship. He was going after a ship. Said he had a friend who needed help, and he intended to help her, because it might be the best thing he'd done in his life. Will you look at this purse? It's an absolute mess."

  "Don't worry, there's a key in there somewhere, and if not, Zach will open the door. Mrs. Conroy, you could really help me out here. Did Seth know the name of the ship he wanted to find?"